


Flowers In Bloom

by Xatherz



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Flowers, Hanahaki Disease, Illnesses, M/M, One Shot, Pining, Saihara Shuichi-centric, as much as i love shuichi im giving him ANGST, i REALLY wanted to write this tbh, no beta we die like men, spoilers for ndrv3 chapters 1-3 btw!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26693563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xatherz/pseuds/Xatherz
Summary: Forget-me-nots. Gardenias. Hyacinths. Salvias.An entire garden had been blooming in Shuichi’s lungs. Unfortunately for him, the growing season would last year round.--When Kokichi pulled his head back, stupid flowers that he didn't know the name of fell to the ground. He squinted, leaning down to pick them up while he continued coughing.He paused for a moment, ignoring the clogged feeling building up in his lungs. Maybe Shuichi would appreciate a 'Get Well Soon' bouquet.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 13
Kudos: 90





	Flowers In Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> Hiii!!! After a small conversation with the lovely @unseeliekey (CHECK THEM OUT BTW- YOU WON"T REGRET IT), I decided to write a Hanahaki AU thing! Literally everything about it makes me weak. Hope you enjoy!

Shuichi had written it off as a cold. 

Coughing fits, ticklish throats, nausea- standard symptoms for a minor illness in his book. What's a mild discomfort worth? There's nothing a few painkillers can't fix, after all.

He sat in the cafeteria, fellow classmates as lively as ever. Shuichi could only pretend that the significant absence of four people didn’t gnaw away at him. Would someone recognize the vacancy of his designated seat in the cafeteria if he passed? How would he even be remembered, to begin with? Akamatsu was stamped as a martyr for her actions while the looming mystery of Amami Rantaro lingered even after he passed. Ryoma was remembered by his pessimistic outlook on life while Kirumi’s loud cries of refusing to succumb to death was completely unforgettable. A dissatisfied sigh fell from his lips.

Whether it be alone at night or surrounded by people with the sun high and shining, he couldn’t help but overthink and let his thoughts consume his person.

“Saihara-chan~!” Sung an all-too familiar voice. Ouma beamed at him as he plopped down in the seat next to the detective, bright eyes nearly burning holes into his fragile skin. “Oh, how glad I am to see my beloved still here and alive! It’d be super upsetting if you died! You’re my favorite person, after all.” 

Shuichi suppressed the tingling feeling blooming in his chest and swallowed Kokichi’s words down like a bitter pill. He deducted the words as lies, as per usual. What else could be expected out of the Ultimate Supreme Leader?

“..Do you need something, Ouma-kun?” The detective asked as his gaze raised from the mug of cold black coffee nestled in his hands. The other pouted, eyes growing watery at the curt question, sending a wave of dread to knot up Saihara’s stomach. 

“I w-was just trying to express m-my appreciation for you..!” Kokichi sniffled, scrubbing away at his eyes, “No need to be so m-mean!” The upset expression painted on his face melted away into something more casual and friendly- the usual look he opted for. “I know just the way you can make it up to me, though!” 

Shuichi raised a brow, lightly cocking his head to the side. “And what might that be?”

Ouma slipped out of his seat, flashing jazz hands as a wide grin spread across his face. “Come to the Casino with me so we can play some games! I’ll consider forgiving you if you accept!” Shuichi resisted the urge to chuckle outright at the proposition, settling for an awkward smile instead. “I’m not exactly skilled when it comes to things like that.. Are you sure?”

“C’moon, Saihara-chan! I chose to hang out with you because you aren’t boring! Don’t fail me right now!” Kokichi frowned, thumping his foot against the tile floor childishly. “I thought you wanted me to hang out with you as a way to make up for hurting your feelings?” Shuichi muttered, though his woes went unheard as the supreme leader ignored him.

“Anyway! Are you joining or not? Everyone else is either creepy-” A pointed look at Korekiyo, who had been sitting down and enjoying tea- “or annoying.” Shuichi didn’t need to have the other point out who he was referring to.

“..Alright. I’ll head to the Casino with you,” Saihara agreed with a slight hesitance. Ouma was practically jumping for joy, a victorious cheer sounding out of him. “Perfect!” He squealed, “Last one there has to pay for the other’s game!”

Kokichi bolted out of the cafeteria without another word, leaving Shuichi to pay silent respects for the amount of Monocoins he was about to lose. As he stood, a strange feeling rose up in his throat.

He swallowed it down before tailing after the other.  
__

As much as he hated to admit it, Shuichi was oddly really good at Casino games. Kokichi had made the remark that just maybe, Saihara had truly been the Ultimate Lucky Student the entire time they had been there. Shuichi merely laughed him off.

( _“You’re, like, the Ultimate Detective, right? Obviously you’d be good at Casino games,” Kokichi had hummed as they walked back to the dorms, nighttime slowly closing in on them, “As a great detective ‘n’ all, it's your job to figure that kinda stuff out, yeah?”  
Shuichi didn’t know what to make of the other’s ramblings, but he listened intently anyway. Ouma had some weird sort of gift when it came to speaking. His voice naturally drew people in to listen to what he had to say- Shuichi couldn’t help but feel envious._

_“I’m not that great of a detective,” Shuichi rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly while a small smile played onto his lips, “I still haven’t even figured out the biggest mystery of all, yet.” A curious look crossed Kokichi’s face which edged Saihara to keep speaking despite his better judgement. The shorter pushed it even further by letting a grin stretch across his face and asking, “What might that be?”_

_“..You.” Shuichi had answered, breathlessly._

_The same feeling from before rose in his throat again._ )

When it came to picking up prizes, Saihara never expected Kokichi to choose a book out of all the miscellaneous items provided. He was positive he’d shoot for something remotely exciting, considering his whole shtick of being an untamed wildcard who is incredibly unpredictable, but he grabbed the Book of the Blackened with a wide smile and purchased it. Shuichi didn’t have a say on the gift he chose, however. He chose a simple Travel Journal after all. 

Maybe the underwhelming prize was the incredibly unpredictable, untamed wildcard thing Ouma was aiming for. Shuichi didn’t expect it after all- really, he felt vaguely impressed. Kokichi wouldn’t allow himself to fall into reckonable routine, even if it meant doing something outrageous or unreasonable.

But why? What purpose did it serve? Shuichi sighed as he set his prize down onto his desk. 

He could think about the enigma that is Kokichi Ouma all day and all night if he were allowed to.

The feeling of something smooth and delicate tickled his throat, causing a cough to rise out of him. Only, the cough grew more and more intense as Shuichi felt more and more of the things rise in his throat. He gagged on whatever was stuck in there as he bolted to the bathroom, hunching over the sink as he tried to retch out what had been caught up.

A sudden feeling of relief washed over him as petals escaped from his mouth, clearing up his windpipe. Wait.  
Petals?  
Bloodied Blue Hyacinths stared back up at him as he wheezed, chest shooting with a sharp ache of pain with every inhale. His lungs felt like they were cramping up on themselves while more flowers tumbled from his lips.

Shuichi could handle standard symptoms with a few painkillers. Coughing up flowers wasn’t standard.  
__ 

Forget-me-nots. Gardenias. Hyacinths. Salvias.

An entire garden had been blooming in Shuichi’s lungs. Unfortunately for him, the growing season would last year round.

He didn’t tell a single soul at the academy about the flowers- he couldn’t even try to without sounding the least bit off his rocker. “Hey guys, I’ve been coughing up flowers recently and I just might be dying!” didn’t sound like something his classmates wanted to hear. The only real solution he had to this dilemma was to ignore it. He ignored it when he witnessed Angie’s body, he ignored it when he was invited to Korekiyo’s seance, he ignored it during Korekiyo’s trial, he ignored it everytime Kokichi would manage to make his heart flutter- it was the only thing he could do.

He never expected to be calling his captors for aid, yet here he had been, sitting upon his neatly made bed while he waited for Monokuma and the Monokubs’ arrival. He couldn’t help but find the whole situation to be completely and utterly pathetic, but at this point? It was on brand for him.

“Yello?” Monokuma called as he came in from who-knows-where, followed by Monophanie, who just had to be the biggest nuisance out of the two remaining Monokubs. “You rang? It’s not often you kids call for me!”

“I.. have a dilemma,” Shuichi stated, looking down at the hands folded in his lap with furrowed brows. “Oh? C’mon, spit it out already! I’m dying to know!” Monokuma said impatiently, raising a claw. Shuichi took a painful breath before he continued. “Well, I-”

“You what?! Don’t leave me hanging!” Monokuma interrupted. “Um… daddy? You didn't let him finish,” Monophanie commented, which led Saihara's respect for her to icrease by at least 5%. “Ahh, you’re right! Go ahead and continue then!” Monokuma stated, paws resting on his hips. Shuichi waited a moment before speaking up again.

“Well… I’ve been coughing up all kinds of different flowers recently and I don’t know why, or even how. It’s been leaving me with respiratory problems, but.. I don’t know what I should do.”  
The silence that filled the room right after was almost as suffocating as the bundle of flowers blooming in his lungs.

“I don’t believe we can help you with your problem,” Monophanie said as she wilted, “But I just might know a reason why you’re experiencing this!” Shuichi nodded in anticipation, nearly almost desperate enough to believe any reason she had to offer. “What you’re dealing with is a result of unrequited love!”  
Shuichi blinked once. Twice.

“I’m sorry, what?” He blurted, eyes widening as his breath almost caught in his throat. He would've accepted any answer. Any answer, and yet she had to claim this as a romance issue. This is what he gets for trusting walking, talking stuffed bears. "At some point, you’re gonna die with all those flowers in your lungs! You know what, Shuichi?" Monokuma spoke, voice unnervingly friendly, "I'm gonna propose a deal for you, just 'cause I like you so much!"  
Shuichi outwardly grimaced, which Monokuma paid no mind to. "How 'bout I fix up a cure for you? But! You have to murder someone to get it!"

"I'm not going to kill someone," Shuichi stated sternly, "And I thought Monophanie said that you couldn't help me?" 

"Who cares about what she says?! All she's good for is being cute, y'know!" Monokuma huffed, crossing his arms, "And plus! I'm the headmaster! With all the crazy things you've seen already, don't you think a cure for your romance-sickness is at the very least possible?"

Shuichi frowned in thought, as he finally looked up from his lap and kept his gaze on Monokuma. “I.. do think you probably could. But.. I’m not going to kill someone for it! I’m not playing into the hands of this killing game!”

Monokuma merely shrugged. “Suit yourself, then! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” He and Monophanie made a swift exit, leaving Shuichi alone in his room. He hated the sound of his own breathing, the strained sounds emitting from him causing him to wince.

A romance issue, huh?

Monophanie claimed it as unrequited love. Shuichi didn’t think he’d be so foolish enough to fall for someone in the middle of a killing game, but two bears with possibly false information said otherwise. Who could he have fallen in love with, anyway? 

Momota was a person he admired, though he never thought that admiration was out of non-platonic love- same with Harukawa. Iruma.. was hard to put into words. He appreciated her, though Shuichi didn’t think he would’ve fallen head over heels for her. Gokuhara, Yumeno and Shirogane were, frankly, far from his type if he were being honest. Kiibo was Kiibo- no strong emotion seemed to be prominent. Lastly, there was Ouma.

Ouma.

Shuichi reached into the back of his throat as he coughed, pulling out a single indigo petal. He stared at it, heart plummeting to the pits of his stomach when it hit him.

Shit.

\--

Ouma yawned as he rubbed the last remains of sleep from his eyes. His sleep schedule had always been.. weird, considering how he laid in bed all night and thought up a dozen ‘what if’ scenarios until he couldn’t form a coherent thought anymore. If anyone were to find out and ask why, he’d just flash a cheeky smile and say, “Because it’s fun!”.  
It wasn’t. It really, really wasn’t.

Lately, Shuichi had been distancing himself from the others. Really, Kokichi didn't care about what had been up with Shuichi. If anything, he couldn't be happier about not dealing with the detective.

But, poor Shuichi. Being cooped up, in his room, all alone. He was probably starving for attention by now, and who was Kokichi to deny him? Really, he was just too kind. Shuichi really ought to thank him.

He wasn't worried about Shuichi whatsoever. That's what he told himself as he skipped towards the detective's door. Before he even knocked, Shuichi opened the door and halted in place. 

"...Ouma-kun? What are you doing here?" He asked hoarsely, rubbing the nape of his neck. Gross, was he sick? No thanks. Maybe Shuichi locking himself in his room was an actual good thing after all.

"I was just about to murder my beloved right now!" Kokichi lied, casually folding his arms behind his head, "You ruined my plans! Shame on you, Saihara-chan."

Shuichi smiled softly before bringing a hand to his mouth, clearing his throat. Several questions, obviously, rose within Kokichi but Shuichi dashed off before the shorter could speak. 

The boy sighed before begrudgingly trudging to the dining hall. He halted in place when his eyes landed on a flower petal on the floor.

"What is going on with you, Saihara-chan?"

A lot. A lot had been going on apparently.

Saihara had been wasting away in the nurse's office after diving head straight into an aggressive coughing fit in the middle of a conversation in the dining hall. Kokichi thought he was about to die with all those gross wheezing noises coming out of him. The sounds lurked in the back of his mind.

He didn't care if he died. That's what drilled into his mind while he paced outside the room, waiting for the stupid bears to provide decent information about his condition. This was fine. He didn't care. It'd benefit Ouma if he died, anyway.

A ticklish feeling rose in his throat. He swallowed it down.

Kaito, the annoying fucker, had been complaining that Kokichi had been waiting with them. "They hate each other!" The astronaut huffed, rolling his eyes, "He shouldn't be here!"

"I agree," Maki crossed her arms, eyes narrowing at the other. He wouldn't wilt under her gaze- she doesn't deserve the satisfactory.

"Ouma-kun is still one of Saihara-kun's friends, no matter the type of relationship they have. He's worried about him, just like everyone else," Gokuhara spoke, "Please, just this once, be kind to each other. For Saihara-kun's sake."

"Nishishi. You're so dumb, Gokuhara-chan!" Kokichi snickered, crossing his arms, "I don't care about about that stupid detective at all! We're rivals, y'know- he's practically a perfect opponent! That’s all our relationship will ever be."

"Ouma-kun," Gokuhara said in a soft way that made the supreme leader want to scream, "It's okay to worry. Gonta worries about his friends all the time! Even the ones who may have done bad, bad things.. Gonta still cares a lot about them."

"Yeah? Well, that's the difference between you and me," Kokichi spat venomously, a cruel smirk stretching across his face, "That belief of yours is gonna get you killed some day."

Before anyone could say anything in response, the door swung open. Outsprung Monokuma, dressed in scrubs with a stethoscope hung loosely off his neck.

"Is he okay?" Kiibo spoke up, genuine concern laced within his words. It was almost funny how human he sounded, despite being the Ultimate Robot. He was more human than Ouma himself.

Monokuma looked down at the clipboard in his paws and a solemn look crossed his face. "He didn't make it."

Kokichi froze. A smile remained on his face, but inside he felt so grossly vulnerable- he hated it. He hated this feeling. He hated Monokuma. He hated that he cared about that damn detective.

"Juuust kidding! He's fine," Monokuma laughed, "I always get a kick out of messing with you kids!"

Kokichi would punt the bear just then had there not been a rule protecting him. He didn't doubt Momota, Harukawa, and Yumeno would do the same.

"Yeah, fuck you! The hell is wrong with Sherlock Homo?" Iruma barked, hand resting on her hip. 

"He told me directly not to tell you! If you want a cure for him, though, I know just how to get it," Monokuma said sinisterly. He's making a motive off of Saihara? Saying Kokichi was pissed would be an understatement.

Surprisingly enough, Momota caught what he was insinuating and grit his teeth. "That's not fair! You can't just use his life like a motive like that!" 

"But I can! And I have! Multiple times, actually!" Monokuma beamed, "If you want him to live, you'll have to kill! And before I go, no visitors are allowed at this time. See ya!"

Monokuma left without another word.

A strained feeling bloomed in Kokichi's chest. 

Kokichi paced his messy room, thoughts trained on none other than the Ultimate Detective. Stupid Saihara. Who allowed him to consume his thoughts? Who allowed him to try and inch his way into Kokichi's guarded heart?  
Ouma snorted. A detective that stole hearts, huh? That was certainly not boring. 

The boy furrowed his brows as an odd feeling licked the walls of his throat. Great- had he fallen ill as well? Maybe Saihara gave it to him during their time at the Casino, or even during their brief interaction this morning. All the more reason to hate the damn bastard.

He brought his arm up and coughed into it, the choked-like sounds coming out of him causing his eyes to blow wide. That was.. surely new. But it was probably nothing. He shouldn't worry about something so insignificant, right?

When Kokichi pulled his head back, stupid flowers that he didn't know the name of fell to the ground. He squinted, leaning down to pick them up while he continued coughing. The Shinguji creep would've known what kind of flower this was, but he wasn't here anymore. Not that Ouma would even approach him willingly, anyway.

He paused for a moment, ignoring the clogged feeling building up in his lungs. Maybe Shuichi would appreciate a 'Get Well Soon' bouquet.

**Author's Note:**

> AAAA TY FOR READING!!!! <3  
> Comments and Kudos are ALWAYS appreciated!!!


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